This is the translation of the Russian
text of the law printed in the newspaper on 1 October 1997, the effective
date of the law.

The Federation Assembly of the Russian federation,

affirming the right of each person to freedom of conscience and freedom
of religious profession, as well as to equality before the law irrespective
of religious affiliation and convictions;

assuming that the Russian federation is a secular state;
recognizing the special role of Orthodoxy in the history of Russia
and in the establishment and development of its spirituality and culture;
respecting Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, and other religions,
constituting an integral part of the historical heritage of the peoples
of Russia;
considering it important to cooperate in the achievement of mutual
understanding, toleration, and respect in matters of freedom of conscience
and freedom of religious profession;

adopts the present federal law.

CHAPTER 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. The object regulated by the present federal law

The present federal law regulates legal relations in the area of human
and civil rights to freedom of conscience and freedom of religious profession,
as well as the legal status of religious associations.

1. Legislation about freedom of conscience, freedom of religious profession,
and religious associations consists of all pertinent standards of the constitution
of the Russian federation, Civil Code of the Russian federation, the present
federal law, and other normative legal acts of the Russian federation adopted
in accordance with them, as well as normative legal acts of the constituent
regions of the Russian federation.

2. The human and civil rights to freedom of conscience and freedom of
religious profession are regulated by federal law. Laws and other normative
legal acts, adopted within the Russian federation and pertaining to the
implementation of the rights to freedom of conscience and freedom of religious
profession, as well as the activity of religious association, must comport
with the present federal law. In cases where normative legal acts of constituent
regions of the Russian federation on matters of protection of the rights
to freedom of conscience and freedom of religious profession and matters
of the activity of religious associations contradict the present federal
law, the present federal law is operative.

3. Nothing in the legislation on freedom of conscience, freedom of religious
profession, and of religious associations should be interpreted in a sense
that lessens or infringes the human and civil rights to freedom of conscience
and freedom of religious profession that are guaranteed in the constitution
of the Russian federation or derive from international treaties of the
Russian federation.

Article 3. The right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religious
profession

1. Freedom of conscience and freedom of religious profession, including
the right to profess individually or corporately with other persons any
religion or not to profess any, and to choose and change freely, and to
hold and disseminate religious and other convictions and to act in accordance
with them are guaranteed within the Russian federation. Foreign citizens
and persons without citizenship who legally reside on the territory of
the Russian federation enjoy the right to freedom of conscience and freedom
of religious profession on a equal basis with citizens of the Russian federation
and incur the liability established by federal laws for violation of the
legislation on freedom of conscience, freedom of religious profession and
on religious associations.

2. The human and civil rights to freedom of conscience and freedom of
religious profession may be restricted by federal law only to the extent
necessary to protect the bases of the constitutional order, morality, health,
rights, and legal interests of individuals and citizens and to secure the
defense of the country and state security.

3. Creation of privileges, restrictions, or any form of discrimination
on the basis of religious affiliation is not permitted.

4. Citizens of the Russian federation are equal before the law in all
areas of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural life irrespective
of religious affiliation and religious adherence. Citizens of the Russian
federation whose convictions or religious profession preclude performance
of military service have the right to substitute alternative civic service
for it. Upon the request of religious organizations, and by decision of
the president of the Russian federation, clergy may be granted deferment
from conscription to military service and exemption from military muster
in peacetime, in accordance with legislation of the Russian federation
on military obligation and military service.

5. No one is obliged to provide information about personal religious
affiliation, nor can be subjected to duress for determining religious affiliation
or confession or rejection of religious confession, or for participation
or nonparticipation in religious services, or other religious rites and
ceremonies or the activity of religious associations or religious education.
Enticement of minors into religious associations is forbidden, as well
as the teaching of religion to minors against their will and without the
consent of their parents or guardians.

6. Prohibition of the enjoyment of the rights to freedom of conscience
and freedom of religious profession, including actions accompanied by violence
against the individual, intentional offense to the sentiment of citizens
with regard to their religious affiliation, propaganda of religious superiority,
destruction or alienation of property or threat thereof, is prohibited
and is prosecuted in accordance with federal law. The conduct of public
ceremonies and the distribution of texts and illustrations that offend
religious sentiments of citizens in the vicinity of objects of religious
veneration are prohibited.

7. The confidentiality of the confessional is protected by law. A member
of the clergy cannot be prosecuted for refusal to give evidence regarding
circumstances that have become known in the confessional.

Article 4. The state and religious associations

1. The Russian federation is a secular state. No religion may be established
as a state or obligatory religion; religious associations are separated
from the state and are equal before the law.

2. In accordance with the constitutional principle of separation of
religious associations from the state, the state

does not interfere in the citizen's decision regarding religion and religious
affiliation, or in the education of children by parents or guardians, in
keeping with their convictions and with regard to the right of the child
to freedom of conscience and freedom of religious profession;

does not require religious associations to perform the functions of
agencies of state power, other state agencies, state institutions, and
agencies of local administration;
does not interfere in the activity of religious associations, when
it does not violate the present federal law;
guarantees the secular character of education in state and municipal
educational institutions.

3. The state regulates the granting to religious organizations of tax and
other privileges, and grants financial, material, and other support to
religious organizations for restoration, maintenance, and preservation
of buildings and objects that are monuments of history and culture, and
for support of teaching general educational subjects in educational institutions
that have been created by religious organizations in accordance with the
legislation of the Russian federation on education.

4. The activity of agencies of state power and agencies of local administration
is not accompanied by public religious rites and ceremonies. Officials
of state power, or of other state agencies, or of agencies of local administration,
as well as military figures, do not have the right to use their official
status for advancing one or another religious affiliation.

5. In accordance with the constitutional principle of the separation
of religious associations from the state, religious associations

are formed and conduct their activity in accordance with their own hierarchical
and institutional structure, choose, nominate, and install their own personnel
in accordance with their own procedures;

do not perform the functions of agencies of state power, other state
agencies, state institutions, or agencies of local administration;
do not participate in elections to agencies of state power of agencies
of local administration;
do not participate in the activity of political parties and political
movements nor give to them material or other support.

6. The separation of religious associations from the state does not entail
an abatement of the rights of members of those association to participate
on an equal basis with other citizens in the administration of state affairs,
elections to agencies of state power and agencies of local administration,
or the activity of political parties, political movements and other public
associations.

7. Upon petition of religious organizations, responsible agencies of
state power in the Russian federation have the right to declare religious
holidays to be nonworking (holiday) days in the corresponding territories.

Article 5. Religious education

1. Each person has the right to receive religious education of one's
own choice, individually or corporately with others.

2. Training and education of children are carried out by the parents
or guardians with due regard for the rights of the child to freedom of
conscience and freedom of religious profession.

3. Religious organizations have the right to teach religion directly
to their own adherents. Religious organizations have the right, in accordance
with their charters and the legislation of the Russian federation, to create
educational institutions.

4. Upon the request of parents or guardians, with the consent of children
who are enrolled in state and municipal educational institutions, the administration
of said institutions, with the permission of appropriate agencies of local
administration, affords a religious organization the possibility of teaching
religion apart from the general curriculum.

CHAPTER II. RELIGIOUS ASSOCIATIONS

Article 6. Religious associations

1. A religious association in the Russian federation is defined as a
voluntary association of citizens of the Russian federation and other persons
permanently and legally residing on the territory of the Russian federation,
formed for the purposes of corporate confession and dissemination of faith
and manifesting the following characteristics appropriate to these purposes:

a confession of faith;

performance of religious services and other religious rites and ceremonies;
instruction in religion and religious education of its adherents.

2. Religious associations may be formed as religious groups and religious
organizations.

3. The creation of religious associations within agencies of state authority,
other state agencies, state institutions and agencies of local administration,
military units, and state and municipal organizations is forbidden.

4. The formation and activity of religious association whose goals and
activities violate the law are forbidden.

Article 7. Religious group

1. A religious group in the present federal law is defined as a voluntary
association of citizens, formed for the purposes of corporate confession
and dissemination of faith, functioning without state registration and
acquiring the legal capacity of juridical person . The premises and property
necessary for the activity of a religious group are acquired for the group's
use by its participants.

2. Citizens constituting a religious group with the intention of subsequently
transforming it into a religious organization inform agencies of local
administration about its formation and commencement of activity.

3. Religious groups have the right to perform religious services and
other religious rites and ceremonies and to conduct religious instruction
and religious education of their adherents.

Article 8. Religious organization.

1. A religious organization is defined as a voluntary association of
citizens of the Russian federation and other persons permanently and legally
residing on the territory of the Russian federation, formed for the purposes
of corporate confession and dissemination of faith and registered in the
capacity of a juridical person by procedure established by law.

2. Religious organizations are categorized as local or centralized in
accordance with the territorial sphere of their activity.

3. A local religious organization is defined as a religious organization
comprising no fewer than ten participants who are eighteen years of age
or older and permanently reside in a single locale or urban or rural settlement
.

4. A centralized religious organization is defined as a religious organization
comprising at least three local religious organization in accordance with
its own charter.

5. A centralized religious organization whose structures have operated
on the territory of the Russian federation on a legal basis for a period
of no fewer than fifty years at the time of the application by the given
religious organization to the registration agency for state registration
has the right to use the words "Russia," "Russian," and derivatives from
them in their names.

6. A religious organization is also defined as an institution or organization
created by a centralized religious organization in accordance with its
charter that has the purposes and characteristics which are stipulated
in point 1 of article 6 of the present federal law, including a directing
or coordinating body or institution as well as an institution of professional
religious education.

7. In consideration of questions regarding the activity of religious
organizations in society, agencies of state power take into account the
territorial sphere of the activity of a religious organization and afford
to appropriate religious organization the possibility of participation
in the consideration of said questions.

8. The name of a religious organization must contain information about
its religious confession. A religious organization is obliged to indicate
its full name while conducting its activity.

9. A religious organization is obliged annually to inform the agency
that registered it about the continuation of its activity with a specification
of the information that is included in the unified state register of juridical
person s. Said information about local religious organizations may be presented
to the registering agency by the appropriate centralized religious organization.
Failure to submit said information in the course of three years constitutes
a basis for the registering agency to file suit in court for recognition
that the religious organization has ceased its activity.

Article 9. Creation of religious organizations

1. The persons eligible to be founders of a local religious organization
are no fewer than ten Russian citizens who are united in a religious group,
which has confirmation, provided of local administration, of its existence
on the given territory for a period of no fewer than fifteen years, or
confirmation of its membership in the structure of a centralized religious
organization of the same religious confession, provided by said organization.

2. Centralized religious organizations are formed from no fewer than
three local religious organizations of the same religious confession in
accordance with their own arrangements of religious organizations provided
such arrangements do not violate the law.

Article 10. Charter of a religious organization

1. A religious organization functions on the basis of a charter which
has been approved by its founders or a centralized religious organization
and should conform to the requirements of the civil legislation of the
Russian federation.

2. The charter of a religious organization indicates

the name, place of location, kind of religious organization, religious
confession, and when it is affiliated with an existing centralized religious
organization, its name;

purposes, tasks, and basic forms of activity;
procedure for creation and cessation of activity;
structure of the organization, its administrative bodies, and the procedure
for their formation and competence;
sources of formation of financial means and other property of the organization;
procedure for making amendments and additions to the charter;
procedure for disposition of property in the event of cessation of
activity;
other information pertaining to the distinctives of the activity of
the given religious organization.

Article 11. State registration of religious organizations

1. State registration of religious organizations is performed by a federal
agency of justice and agencies of justice of constituent regions of the
Russian federation by a procedure established in accordance with civil
legislation of the Russian federation and the present federal law.

2. State registration of a local or centralized religious organization
comprising local religious organizations, located within the boundaries
of a single constituent element of the Russian federation, is performed
by an agency of justice of the respective constituent element of the Russian
federation.

3. The federal agency of justice registers the centralized religious
organizations that comprise local religious organization on the territories
of two or more constituent regions of the Russian federation.

4. State registration of religious organizations that are formed by
centralized religious organizations in accordance with point 7 of article
8 of the present federal law is performed by the agency of justice that
registered the respective religious organization.

5. For state registration of a local religious organization the founders
submit to the appropriate agency of justice

an application for registration;

list of persons who are creating the religious organization, with indication
of citizenship, place of residence, and date of birth;
charter of the religious organization;
minutes of the constituent meeting;
document confirming the existence of the religious group on the given
territory for a period of no fewer than fifteen years, provided by an agency
of local administration or confirmation of membership in a centralized
religious organization, provided by its directing center;
information about the fundamentals of the belief system and about the
practices corresponding to it, including the history of the origins of
the religion and given association, the forms and methods of its activity,
its attitude toward the family and marriage and education, distinctives
of its attitude toward the health of adherents of the given religion, and
restrictions upon members and clergy of the organization with regard to
their civil rights and duties;
document confirming the location of the directing body (juridical address)
of the religious organization.

6. If the supreme directing body (center) of the religious organization
being formed is located outside the boundaries of the Russian federation,
in addition to the documents indicated in point 5 of the present article,
in the established procedure the charter or other foundational document
of the foreign religious organization, confirmed by a state agency of the
state in which that organization is located, is presented.

7. The bases for state registration of centralized religious organizations
and religious organizations formed by centralized religious organizations
are

application for registration;

list of founders of the religious organizations;
charter of the religious organization being created, approved by its
founder (founders);
document confirming the location of the directing body (juridical address)
of the religious organizations being created;
notarized copies of the charter and evidence of the state registration
of the founder (founders);
appropriate decision of the authorized body of the founder (founders).

Upon creation of a centralized religious organization the founder (founders)
also present charters of no fewer than three local religious organizations
that are part of its structure and information about other religious organizations
that are part of said structure.

8. Application for state registration of a religious organization which
is being created by a centralized religious organization or on the basis
of confirmation provided by a centralized religious organization is reviewed
within a period of one month from the day of submission of all documents
stipulated by the present article. In other cases the registering agency
has the right to extend the period of review of documents up to six months
to conduct a state expert analysis by scholars of religion. The procedure
for conducting a state expert analysis by scholars of religion is established
by the government of the Russian federation.

9. In case of noncompliance by the applicant (applicants) of the requirements
stipulated in points 4-6 of the present article, the registering organ
has the right to leave the application without consideration, informing
the applicant (applicants) about this.

10. In case of adoption of a decision concerning registration of a religious
organization, the registering organ gives to the application evidence of
the established form concerning state registration of a religious organization
and enter information about the state registration into the unified state
register of juridical persons, which is available as public information.

11. Amendments and additions entered into the charters of religious
organization are subject to state registration by the procedure stipulated
for registration of religious organizations and they become effective for
third persons from the day of state registration.

12. In case of change in data included in the unified state register
of juridical person s and of its location (juridical address), the religious
organization notifies the registering agency about this within one month
from the day of the onset of such a change.

Article 12 Denial of state registration of a religious organization

1. A religious organization may be denied state registration if

the purposes and activity of the religious organization violate the constitution
of the Russian federation and legislation of the Russian federation, with
citation of specific articles of laws;

the organization being created is not acknowledged to be religious;
the charter and other documents presented do not fulfill the requirements
of the legislation of the Russian federation or contain information that
has not been confirmed;
a previously registered organization with the same name appears on
the unified state register of juridical persons;
the founder (founders) is unauthorized.

2. In case of denial of state registration of a religious organization,
the applicant (applicants) is notified about the decision in written form
with an indication of the basis for the denial. Denial on the basis of
the inexpediency of the creation of the religious organization is not permitted.
Denial of state registration of a religious organization by the registering
agency, as well as its rejection of such registration, may be appealed
in court.

Article 13. Representation of foreign religious organizations

1. A foreign religious organization is defined as an organization created
outside of the borders of the Russian federation in accordance with the
legislation of a foreign state.

2. A foreign religious organization may be granted the right to open
its representation on the territory of the Russian federation. The representation
of the foreign religious organization may not engage in cultural and other
religious activity nor does it have the status of a religious association
established by the present federal law.

3. The procedure for registration, opening, and closing of the representation
of a foreign religious organization is established by the government of
the Russian federation in accordance with the legislation of the Russian
federation.

4. In case of the adoption of a decision regarding the registration
of the representation of a foreign religious organization, its representative
is given information in the form established by the government of the Russian
federation.

5. A Russian religious organization has the right to have within itself
representation of a foreign religious organization.

Article 14. Liquidation of a religious organization and prohibition
of the activity of a religious association in case of their violation of
legislation

1. Religious organizations may be liquidated

by decision of their founders or the body authorized for this by the charter
of the religious organization;

by decision of a court in case of frequent or gross violations of the
standards of the constitution of the Russian federation, the present federal
law, and other systematic serious conduct of activity incompatible with
the purposes of its creation (charter goals).

2. Bases for the liquidation of a religious organization and prohibition
of the activity of a religious organization or religious group by judicial
procedure are

violation of public security and public order and damage to the security
of the state;

actions directed toward the violent change of the bases of constitutional
order and violation of the integrity of the Russian federation;
creation of armed formation;
propaganda of war and incitement of social, racial, national, or religious
enmity and misanthropy;
compulsory dissolution of the family;
infringement of the person, rights, and freedom of citizens;
infringement, as defined by the law, of the morality and health of
citizens, including the religious use of drugs and psychotropic substances
and hypnosis, and performance of lewd and other illegal actions;
encouragement of suicide or refusal of medical care for religious motives
for persons whose life or health are threatened;
prevention of acquiring obligatory education;
compulsion of members and adherents of a religious association and
other persons to alienate property owned by them for the use of a religious
association;
prevention of a citizen's leaving the religious association under threat
of harm to life, health, or property, if there is a danger of its actual
fulfillment, or the application of force by other illegal actions;
encouragement of citizens to refuse to fulfill civic duties required
by law and to perform other illegal actions.

3. Agencies of the procuracy of the Russian federation, and an agency conducting
registration of religious organization, as well as agencies of local law
enforcement have the right to present in court suggestions about the liquidation
of a religious organization or prohibition of the activity of a religious
organization or religious group.

4. The legal capacity of the liquidated religious organization as a
juridical person ceases and the property of said liquidated religious organization
is disbursed in accordance with its charter and the civil legislation of
the Russian federation.

5. The bases and procedure of liquidation of a religious organization
upon decision of a court apply also to the situation of prohibition of
the activity of a religious group.

CHAPTER III. RIGHTS AND CONDITIONS OF THE ACTIVITY OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS

Article 15. Internal structures of religious organizations

1. Religious organizations function in accordance with their internal
structures, provided they do not violate legislation of the Russian federation
and they possess the legal capability stipulated in their charters.

2. The state respects the internal structures of religious organizations
if said structures do not violate the legislation of the Russian federation.

Article 16. Religious rites and ceremonies

1. Religious organizations have the right to establish and maintain
cult buildings and premises, other places and objects, especially designated
for religious services, prayer and religious meetings, and religious adoration
(pilgrimage).

2. Religious services and other religious rites and ceremonies are conducted
without impediment within cult buildings and premises and territories attached
to them, in other places designated for religious organizations for their
purposes, in places of pilgrimage, in institutions and enterprises of religious
organizations, in cemeteries and crematoria, and in living quarters.

3. Religious organizations have the right to conduct religious rites
in medical treatment and hospital institutions, children's homes, homes
for the elderly and invalids, and in institutions of criminal punishment
for deprivation of liberty, upon requests of citizens in them, in premises
especially set aside by the administration for these purposes. The conduct
of religious rites in premises of sites for holding people under guard
is permitted on condition of observation of the requirements of the criminal
procedural legislation of the Russian federation.

4. The command of military units, on condition of observance of the
requirements of military charters, does not interfere with the participation
of military service personnel in religious services and other religious
rites and ceremonies.

5. In other situations public religious services and other religious
rites and ceremonies are conducted according to the procedure established
for conduct of demonstrations, processions, and demonstrations.

1. Religious organizations have the right to manufacture, acquire, export,
import, and distribute religious literature, printed material, audio-visual
materials, and other objects with religious significance.

1. Religious organizations have the right to conduct charitable activity
both immediately and through institutions of charitable organizations.

2. For the achievement of their charter purposes and tasks, religious
organizations have the right, in accordance with procedures established
by the legislation of the Russian federation, to create cultural-educational
organizations and educational and other institutions, and to establish
mass media.

3. The state cooperates with and supports the charitable activity of
religious organizations and their achievement of socially significant cultural-educational
programs and celebrations.

Article 19. Institutions of professional religious education

1. Religious organizations have the exclusive right, in accordance with
their charters, to create institutions of professional religious education
(ecclesiastical educational institutions) for preparing ministers and religious
personal.

2. Institutions of professional religious education are subject to registration
as religious organization and receive a state license to the right of conducting
educational activity.

3. Citizens who are studying in the resident departments of institutions
of professional religious education, which have a state license, enjoy
the right to deferment from conscription to military service in accordance
with the legislation on military obligation and military service and other
privileges, stipulated in the legislation of the Russian federation.

Article 20. International communications and contacts

1. Religious organizations have the right to establish and maintain
international communications and contacts, including for purposes of pilgrimage,
participation in meetings and other events, acquisition of religious education,
and invitations to foreign citizens for these purposes.

2. Religious organizations have the exclusive right of inviting foreign
citizens for purposes of professional activity, including preaching and
religious activity in those organizations in accordance with federal legislation..

Article 21. The right of ownership of religious organizations

1. Religious organizations may own buildings, land parcels, items intended
for manufacturing, social, charitable, cultural-educational and other purposes,
objects for religious purposes, financial means and other property required
for securing their activity, including such as pertains to monuments of
history and cultures.

2. Religious organization have the right to ownership of property, acquired
or created by them at the expense of their own resources, donated by citizens
and organizations or whose ownership is transferred to the religious organizations
by the state or acquired by other means that do not violate the legislation
of the Russian federation.

3. The transfer of ownership to religious organizations, for use in
achieving their purposes, of cult buildings and premises, with the land
portions attached to them, and of other property having religious signification,
which is owned by state and municipal agencies, is accomplished free of
charge.

4. Religious organizations have the right to own property abroad.

5. Movable and immovable property with liturgical significance may not
be subject to confiscation on the basis of claims by creditors. The enumeration
of forms of property of liturgical significance which are exempt from confiscation
on the basis of creditors' claims in drawn up by the government of the
Russian federation , on the basis of suggestions made by religious organizations.

Article 22. Use of property that is owned by the state, citizens, and
their associations

1. Religious organizations have the right to use for their needs plots
of land, buildings, and property granted to them by state, municipal, public,
and other organizations and citizens, in accordance with the legislation
of the Russian federation.

2. The transfer of property that is owned by state or municipal agencies
to religious organizations for appropriate use of cult buildings and premises
with the attached parcels of land and other property having religious significance
is carried out free of charge.

Article 23. Entrepreneurial activity of religious organizations

Religious organizations have the right to conduct entrepreneurial activity
and to create their own enterprises in accordance with procedure established
by legislation of the Russian federation.

Article 24. Legal labor relations in religious organizations

1. Religious organizations have the right in accordance with their charters
to conclude labor agreements (contracts) with workers.

2. The conditions of labor and its compensation are determined, in accordance
with the legislation of the Russian federation, by a labor agreement (contract)
between the religious organization (employer) and worker.

3. Legislation of the Russian federation on labor applies to citizens
who are working in religious organizations in accord with labor agreements
(contracts).

4. Workers of religious organizations and clergy are subject to required
state social security, social and medical insurance, and pension funds
in accordance with legislation of the Russian federation.

CHAPTER IV. SUPERVISION AND VERIFICATION OF FULFILLMENT OF THE LEGISLATION
ON FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE, FREEDOM OF RELIGIOUS PROFESSION, AND RELIGIOUS
ASSOCIATIONS

Article 25. Conduct of supervision and verification

1. Supervision of the fulfillment of the legislation of the Russian
federation on freedom of conscience, freedom of religious profession, and
religious associations is conducted by agencies of the procuracy of the
Russian federation.

2. The agency that has registered a religious organization conducts
the supervision of its observance of its charter regarding the purposes
and procedure of its activity.

Article 26. Responsibility for violation of legislation on freedom of
conscience, freedom of religious profession and religious associations

Violation of the legislation of the Russian federation on freedom of
conscience, freedom of religious profession, and religious associations
incurs criminal, administrative, and other liability in accordance with
the legislation of the Russian federation.

Article 27. Concluding provisions

1. The present federal law becomes effective on the day of its official
publication.

2. The government of the Russian federation is responsible to adopt
normative legal acts necessary for the implementation of the present federal
law.

3. Charters and other foundational documents of religious associations
that were created before the present federal law becomes effective are
effective only to the extent that they do not violate the present federal
law. Reregistration of religious organizations for which there exist bases
for their liquidation or prohibition on their activity stated in point
2 of article 14 of the present federal law will not be carried out. Upon
refusal of reregistration in accordance with the indicated bases, the registering
agency transmits materials to the court. Religious organizations that do
not have documents that confirm their existence in the respective territory
for at least fifteen years enjoy the rights of juridical person provided
they reregister annually until the achievement of the said fifteen-year
period. During the said period such religious organizations do not have
the rights stipulated in point 4 of article 3, points 3 and 4 of article
5, point 5 of article 13, point of article 16, points 1 and 2 of article
17, point 2 of article 18 (pertaining to educational institutions and mass
media), article 19 and point 2 of article 20 of the present federal law.

4. State reregistration of religious associations, formed before the
present federal law becomes effective, must be completed no later than
31 December 1999 in accordance with the requirements of the present federal
law. Upon expiration of said period, religious organizations that have
not undergone reregistration are subject to liquidation in accordance with
judicial procedure upon appeal of the agency that conducts state registration
of religious organizations. [note: this article was amended
31 March 2000*]

5. From the day of the present federal law's becoming effective, the
law of the RSFSR "On Freedom of Religious Professions" (Vedomosti s"ezda
narodnykh deputatov RSFSR I verkhovnogo soveta RSFSR, 1990, n 21, st. 240;
Sobranie zakonodatel'stva rossiiskoi federatsii, 1995, N. 5, st. 346) and
the resolution of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR "On the procedure for
implementation of the law of RSFSR 'On freedom of religious professions'"
(Vedomosti s"ezda narodnykh deputatov RSFSR i verkhovnogo soveta RSFSR,
1990, N 21, st. 241) are recognized as null and void. (tr. by PDS)

*ON INTRODUCTION OF CHANGES INTO POINT 4, ARTICLE 27 OF FEDERAL LAW
Rossiiskaia gazeta, 30 March 2000

Article 1. Introduce into point 4 of article 27 of the federal
law of 26 September 1997 N125-F3 "On freedom of conscience and religious
associations" (Collection of Legislation of the Russian Federation, 1997,
N. 39, art. 4465) the following changes:

Replace the words "31 December 1999" with the words "31 December 2000";

Word the second sentence in the following manner: "Upon expiration of
the specified period of time religious organizations that have not undergone
reregistration are subject to liquidation through judicial procedure upon
petition by the agency that conducts state registration of religious organizations."

Article 2. This federal law takes effect on the day of its official
pubcation.